Stoker mechanism



Aug. 6, 1940. H. T. BLUM STOKER MECHANISM Filed Aug. 16, 1939 Patentedv Aug. 6, 1940 UNITE-.o STATES *sToKEnf MEcHANIsM Harold `Blum, .Glenmont, Qhio, assigner to Briar, Hi11 Corporation, Millersburg, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio "Application August 16,

2 Claims.

The present invention relates tosmo'king pipes and is more particularly directed to smoking pipes having an arrangement; incorporated thereinA for controlling the iiring of the tobacco and, at the Vsame time, cooling thesmoke thus produced, whereby, the heavy oils, tars and'moistures are condensed therefrom.

The principal object ofthe present invention is to provide a'stokin'g unit which can be readily mounted within a smoking'pipe bowl and manually operated as desired, to control the firing of the tobacco being consumed, while at the same time, consisting of a' minimum number of elelments, all of which can be economically produced.

"Another important object of the present invention is to provide 'a smoking pipe havingincorporated therein'a stoking unit which enables the user thereof tore'move allobiectionable ingredients from said pipe bowl and' also coolsthe smoke from the 'consumed tobaccoand retains the ingredients condensed therefrom in ysuch a manner 'that 'the 'same maybe removed without the necessity of disassembling the 'stokingunit Another andv equally important object of the present invention is to provide a smoking pipe stoker unit which can be readily mounted within a smokingpipe ofthe conventional type for improving'upon the character of the smoke produced' thereby and which unit can be added to the smoking pipe at a relatively low cost.

Other objects ofthe invention 'will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the accompanying` drawing-and in the detailed following description based thereupon.

The term conventional type-as herein used, refers to a. smoking pipe having a cylindrical bowl and a stem connected to and extending from the base portion of said bowl.

In the drawing:

' Fig, 1 is a side cross sectional detail View of a conventional type of smoking pipe and Stoker unit mounted therein:

Fig. 2'is a side elevation of a tobacco supporting plate vinour'iteduponits control rod and which elements are the'basic members of the Stoker unit according to thepresent invention.

Fig. 3 is a top View of said tobacco supporting plate showing the centrally located openings 50 formed therethrough.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a conventional type of smoking pipe having a modified form of stoker unit mounted therein.

Fig. 5A is a side elevation of the principal ele- 5-5' ments ofthe Stoker unit /disclose'din Fig. 4, which 193e, serial No. 290,515

consists of a tobacco supporting plate and a control rod, and

Fig` 6 is a top elevation of the tobacco supporting plate used with the modified form of stoking unit. v Referring now more particularly to the accom panying drawing wherein like reference characters designate similar parts thereof, numeral I refers to a conventional type of smoking pipe having a bowl 2, which bowl has an internal chamber 3 and a stem 4 extending from the base of said bowl 2 with bore 5 thereof in connection with said chamber 3. An opening 6 is formed through the base of bowl 2 and located centrally of said chamber 3 by means of a drill or other convenient procedure.l

Referring now especially to the principal form of the present invention as disclosed in Figs, 1 to 3 inclusive of the drawing, there is shown Xedly mounted within said opening I5 a tubular bearing member I having an annular flange extending from the upper end portion thereof and which ange 3 is seated upon the lower face of chamber 3, whereby the member 'l is restrained from outward movement through opening G. Slidably mounted within the bore of bearing member 'l is a tubular controlrod 9 having the upper portion Ill thereof formed with a relatively larger outside diameter than the lower portion for contacting the upper face of flange 8 and thereby limiting the downward movement'of rod 9 through the bore of member 1. Said enlarged portion I of member 9 has a .series of openings II formed through the wall thereof and opening to within the bore of rod 9. The upper end peripheral portion of rod 9 is threaded as at I2 and the lower or opposite end is alsol threaded upon its periphery as at I3. Said threaded portion I3 has screwed thereon a cap I4 for closing the lower open end of rod 9.

An annular tobacco supporting plate I5, which extends completely across chamber 3 and slidably contacts the wall thereof, has a tubular projection I6 extending from the central portion of the lower face of said plate, and the interior wall of said projection Iii is threaded for receiving therein in threaded engagement therewith the threaded end I2 of rod Il. Said tobacco plate I5 has a series of openings II formed therethrough extending fromits upper face to its lower face and centrally positioned insuch a manner as to connect the upper face of plate I5 with the bore of rod 9 whensaid plate is connectedthereto.

The foregoing describedelements are'assembled after opening-G Lhas been formedthrough thebase of bowl 2 by rst inserting bearing 1 through the upper portion of opening 6 until flange 8 is seated within chamber 3. By applying an adhesive or cement to the periphery of bearing 1, the same will be fiXedly connected to the wall forming said opening 6. Rod 9 is at that time inserted from within chamber 3 through the top end portion of the bore of bearing 1 until portion Ill thereof contacts the upper face of flange 8. After rod 9 has been mounted through the bore of bearing 1, cap I4 is screwed upon the threaded portion I3. Plate I5 is slid downwardly within chamber 3 and rod 9 rotated within bearing 1, screwing end portion I2 to within projection I6, whereby plate I5 is connected to said rod 9. 'Ihe foregoing described method of assembly is merely a suggested procedure, as it is obvious that other steps may be followed equally as well to assemble the unit within the smoking pipe.

After the assembly of the unit within the pipe bowl 2, tobacco is placed within chamber 3 and seated upon the upper face of plate I5. Upon a flame being applied thereto and the smoker drawing through bore 5, the tobacco will be ignited and the smoke therefrom will pass downwardly through opening I1 to within the bore of rod 9. Said rod 9 is formed of a metallic material having high heat conductivity characteristics such as a lightweight metal, as for example, aluminum or magnesium. The smoke within the bore of rod 9 will be cooled by said rod conducting the heat therefrom to the air surrounding the portion of said rod 9 extending outwardly from bearing 'I beyond the outer surface of bowl 2. The smoke thus cooled will have the moisture, heavy oils and tars thereby condensed therefrom and such condensed ingredients will pass downwardly Within the bore of rod 9 and settle upon the interior face of cap I4, which cap I4 can be unscrewed from rod 9 from time to time for removing the condensed ingredients supported thereby. 'Ihe cooled and dried smoke will pass outwardly from the bore of rod 9 through openings I I where it will be permitted to expand and thus further cooled in the chamber formed by the plate I5 and the lower portion of chamber 3. The smoke below plate I5 will be gradually drawn therefrom through bore 5 to the smoker, thereby completing the draft from the open end of chamber 3. Various smokers desire the burning portion of their tobacco to be positioned nearer the top of chamber 3 than do others, depending upon the taste of the individual smoker. Therefore, as the tobacco I8 is consumed, the entire body of tobacco I8 is moved upwardly within chamber 3 by pushing rod 9 upwardly through the bore of bearing 1 until the burning portion of the tobacco is positioned as desired, whereupon, rod 9, and

consequently plate l5, is lowered from the bottom portion of the tobacco I8, since it has been found that the lower portion of the tobacco will remain relatively drier when the plate I5 is lowered therefrom. Upon complete consumption of the tobacco I8, cap I4 can be removed from the end of rod 9, whereby the condensed liquids are removed from the bore of rod 9 and, at the same time, said rod 9 can be pushed upwardly through bearing 1, whereupon, plate I5 which extends completely across said chamber 3 and thereby contacts the walls of said chamber, is also moved upwardly and removes any ingredients which have formed upon the wall of said chamber 3, whereby the same is cleansed. Plate I5 land rod 9 can then beremoved from chamber 3 whereby the entire pipe, as well as the elements of the stoker unit, can be readily cleansed.

Figs. 4 to 6 inclusive, disclose a modied form of the stroker unit as hereinabove described and which unit consists of a rod or tube 20 having a reduced portion 2I which is inserted within an opening of equal diameter formed in the central portion of a tobacco supporting plate 22 and which portion 2| has the head thereof flattened for retaining said plate 22 thereon. Said rod 20 is slidably mounted within and through the bore of bearing 1 mounted within an opening 6 formed through the base of the bowl 2 of the conventional type of smoking pipe I as hereinbefore described. Said rod 20 is formed from metal and preferably from a metal which readily conducts heat, such as aluminum or magnesium. Said rod 20 and plate 22 are mounted within the pipe I by inserting rod 2U end first through chamber 3 and through the bore of bearing 1, whereupon, plate 22 extends laterally of chamber 3 and slidably contacts the wall of said chamber and thereby positions an annular series of openings 23, which are formed therethrough from the upper face thereof to its lower face, adjacent the Wall of said chamber.

A smokin-g pipe having the stoking unit of this modified form incorporated therein is used ,by inserting tobacco within chamber 3 and upon plate 22, at which time a flame is applied to said tobacco, and the smoker of the pipe, by drawing through bore 5, causes air to vbe drawn from the open end of chamber 3 to the tobacco and from there through openings 23 to the portion of chamber 3 below said plate 22. The burning portion of the tobacco is positioned relative to the upper end of chamber 3 by pushing rod 2` upwardly through bearing 1, thereby advancing plate 22 and the tobacco supported thereon upwardly within chamber 3. As the tobacco is positioned as desired, the plate 22 is drawn away from the lower face of the tobacco in order that said lower face of the tobacco may be maintained relatively dry.

Said openings 23 each being positioned near the wall of chamber 3, will cause the smoke from the burning tobacco to pass downwardly along the walls of chamber 3 and not through the principal body of the tobacco, whereby, the smoke upon contacting said Wall will be somewhat cooled and have the moisture, oils and tars condensed therefrom. Upon the smoke passing through openings 23, it will be further cooled upon contacting the heat-conducting rod 2U, which rod 29 is maintained relatively cooled due to the air passing around the periphery of the portion thereof extending outwardly of bowl 2. The smoke is thereby further cooled and will have further moisture, heavy oils and tars condensed therefrom before it passes outwardly through bore 5. Rod 42E! and plate 22 can be disassembled from the bowl 2 by pushing rod 20 and consequently, plate 22, upwardly through chamber 3, at which time ingredients formed upon the wall of chamber 3 will be removed therefrom by plate 22. Therefore, the pipe I and the Stoker unit are readily accessible for the complete cleansing thereof.

Both the principal and modified form of stoker unit may be incorporated in new or old pipes of other types than that shown herein and such changes are contemplated by the present invention, however, any modifications to the devices as described andV disclosed herein which come a bearing member slidably embracing said tube,

means closing the lower endof said tube and limiting the upward movement thereof relative to said bearing member, a projection carried by the upper portion of said tube limiting the down-` ward movement thereof relative to said bearing member, openings formed through said tube above said projection, a plate detachably mounted on and closing the upper end of said tube and openings formed vthrough said plate and communicating with the bore of said tube.

2. A tobacco stoking unit for use in smoking pipes having the stem. thereof connected to the lower portion of the bowl, comprising a tube formed from a heat-conducting material, a cap detachably connected to and closing one end of said tube, .a tubular bearing member havin-g said tube slidably mounted Within the bore thereof, an annular flange formed extending from said bearing member, a projection vcarried by said tube for contacting said flange and limiting the downward movement of said .tu-be, openings formed through said tube at a point above said projection, a plate rconnected to and closing the other end of said tube and said plate having openings formed therethrough communicating with the bore of said tube.

- HAROLD T. BLUM. 

